Arizona man Jan Peter Meister’s trial over criminal charges stemming from a violent voicemail that he left at the office of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) apparently is blaming Fox News for his meltdown, according to a court filing from last week in which a portion of his comments to authorities were revealed.
In that filing, authorities’ summary of their interactions with Meister states:
‘Meister responded that he watches Fox News and likely was upset at something that he saw on the news. He stated that he strongly dislikes the Democrats, and feels they are to blame for the country’s political issues. Meister stated that he likely Goggled [sic] the congressman’s office number to make the call.’
Meister has been in custody ahead of his trial, which authorities argued was necessary considering that he “should be considered a flight risk because of his minimal ties to the community” and already has a long list of criminal activities. That includes “convictions for a 1989 rape as well as another sex offense, a DUI and assault in 2000, and disorderly conduct in 2001,” POLITICO notes.
The original incident that sparked his latest charges unfolded all the way back in October, when Meister — who is a registered sex offender and has been arrested numerous times — left an expletive-laden, unhinged, threatening voicemail at Schiff’s D.C. office. When federal agents showed up at his door, after he cursed them (and Schiff) out, they discovered illegally held firearms, which sparked their own criminal charge for Meister of illegal possession of firearms.
Meister’s legal team has tried the “defense” of claiming that there’s no way that the angry drunk they’re representing could have actually carried out his threat of violence against the Congressman.
In November, the attorneys attempted to secure Meister’s release with the argument that:
‘Mr. Meister is charged with making a drunken phone call in which he threatened a United States Congressman. Although serious, the congressman lived in Washington, D.C. and Mr. Meister lives in a trailer in Tucson. Mr. Meister has no ties to Washington or the ability to travel there and there is little evidence he could have carried out his alleged threat.’
Schiff, who has been accompanied by permanent police details throughout recent months, did not comment on these latest developments, but he has been facing rounds and rounds of sometimes violent criticism from the president himself. Trump, in a rage over the investigations into his corruption that Schiff has dared to help lead, has even suggested that Schiff (and other top Democrats) should be prosecuted for treason, which, according to the Constitution itself, is supposed to be punished by death. In other words, if Fox News airs a violent tweet from the president, and people like Meister are watching — it’s a very short way from the president of the United States to violent threats against a top Congressman that warrant a police response.
Voters will have a chance to get that kind of behavior out of the White House this November, when the general elections get underway.
